Shaman
Definition of Shaman: What is Shaman?
A Shaman is a spiritual leader of a group or
tribe who adhere to the belief in Shamanism. The
belief and practice of Shamanism incorporates a range of beliefs,
customs, ceremonies and rituals regarding communication with the
spiritual world in which their religious leader,
the Shaman, enters supernatural realms
particularly when the tribe is facing adversity or
need to obtain solutions to problems afflicting the
community including sickness. The doctrine associated
with Shamanism, that incorporates the role of
the Shaman, is probably one of the oldest
beliefs of man, with its origins probably dating
back to the Stone Age. The term
'Shaman' is derived from the Sanscrit word "sraman"
meaning a worker or toiler.

The Shaman and Native American Indian beliefs
Shamanism is not a specific religion but a
doctrine based on a belief that physical nature
might be brought under the control of man, in
the person of a Shaman. The Shaman is believed
to have a spiritual connection with animals,
supernatural creatures and all elements of
nature. The Shaman helps members of the tribe to
identify personal
Animal Totems that are spirit guides who
walk through life with them and sometimes appear
in dreams or Vision Quests
or on a
Spiritual
Journey
in the form of an
animal. Shamanism is mixed with other beliefs
such as
Animism,
Totemism, Ritualism,
and
Fetishism and these
beliefs, taken as a whole, have strong religious
connotations.

The Role of the Shaman
The shaman used appropriate words, objects and
rituals to protect men from evil spirits - his
role is that of opponent to the bad spirits and
of guardian to the ordinary man. The role of the Shaman differs from tribe to
tribe as there are some regional and tribal
variations to their beliefs in Shamanism. There are,
however, several common roles that are shared by
every Shaman. A Shaman was a healer,
communicator, educator, prophet and mystic:

Communicator: The Shaman provided help and
advice to members of the tribe

Educator: The Shaman was the keeper of myth,
tradition and tribal wisdom

Healer: The Shaman had Spiritual
Healing
powers and
the ability to treat sickness caused by evil spirits
- hence the Westernised name 'Medicine Man'.

Prophet: The Shaman had the ability to
perform various forms of prophecy

Mystic: The Shaman possessed the
ability to communicate with the spirit world,
leave the body and enter the supernatural
world to search for answers

In
many tribes, including the Cheyenne and the
Sioux, the Shaman also had the role of the head
warrior or war chief which made him the most
powerful and influential man of the tribe.

The Equipment of the ShamanThe
means by which the shaman practised his role and
powers included:

Knowledge of the Trance State
and use of trance-inducing methods and techniques
to go on vision
quests and incite tribe members

The use of symbolic regalia and sacred objects
such as the calumet, or pipe,
in Shamanistic ceremonies and rituals

Symbolic magic, incantations, war dances,
rain dances and hunting dances with the use
of rattles and drums

Fasting and cleansing rituals

Picture of a Blackfoot Shaman

The
Shaman and Spirits The
belief in spirits and the ability of the Shaman
to communicate with spirits was fundamental to Shamanism.
The fundamental doctrine is based on the belief
that every object in nature is controlled
by its own independent spirit, or soul. Spirits
inhabit the rivers,
lakes, mountains, forests, trees, plants,
sky, stars, sun, moon, animals, insects, fish, flowers and birds. Some
spirits are good and help men who please them
whereas other spirits are bad and liable to
wreck havoc and harm on people and on tribes. It
is the bad spirits that cause trouble,
suffering, sickness, death and disease. If a
Shaman had control over the spirits he became
extremely powerful.

Medicine, Mystery and the ShamanThe
healing role of the Shaman was critical. Many
Native American Tribes believe that when a man
is ill a bad spirit has taken away his soul or
has entered into him. It is therefore not
surprising that the Native Americans would wish
to gain power over these spirits. The man with
knowledge of spirits and the supernatural was
the Shaman. A Shaman would know protective words
and chants and have knowledge of objects which,
if carried, would disarm bad spirits and protect
their owners. Such knowledge is what the Native
Indians mean by “medicine” or “mystery.”
The Native Americans who spent their lives in
trying to gain such knowledge are referred to as
medicine men, medicine people, mystery men, or
Shaman.

Shaman Regalia - Masks, Rattles and Drums
A shaman was equipped with a number of objects
that helped him to communicate with spirits in
other worlds. They used dances, gestures and
sounds as the symbolic powers of Shaman to enter
the spirit world. A Shaman also wore ceremonial
clothes and carried sacred objects such as
rattles and drums to incarnate the spirits of
nature and amplify their power. The Shaman of
some tribes also used masks that were believed
to hold spiritual powers and would identify them
with the spirits in other worlds and activate
their powers.

Shaman Pictures
The picture of the Dakota Sioux Shaman was
painted by George Catlin (1796-1872) described
this Indian as a noted doctor or medicine man:
“...with his medicine or mystery drum and rattle
in his hands, his looking-glass on his breast,
his rattle of antelope's hoofs, and drum of
deer-skins.” The Picture of the Kickapoo Shaman
is holding a prayer stick and was described as
“a Kickapoo of some distinction, and a disciple
of the Prophet; in the attitude of prayer also,
which he is reading off from characters cut upon
a stick that he holds in his hands.”

Dakota Sioux Shaman or Medicine Man

Kickapoo Shaman

The amazing picture at the top of the page
illustrates a Shaman of the Blackfoot tribe
taking on the animal form of a bear. Many Native
American cultures feature skin-walkers, or a
similar concept, in which a shaman or Medicine
Man may, according to cultural tradition, take
on an animal form such as a bear.

The Shaman, Ceremonies and Secret Societies
Among some tribes, notably amongst the Southwest
Indians there are secret societies which
practise spirit wisdom for the benefit of the
individual, or for the good of the whole tribe.
The Shaman secret societies may work to cure
disease in individuals or work for the whole
tribe to combat adversities. There were secret
medicine societies of the Seneca, and of many other
Native American tribes. Each Medicine Society is
dedicated to the Medicine of a particular earth
spirit, such as the Wolf or the Bear. Among the Moki Pueblos, the
societies of the Snake and of the Antelope carry
on the Snake Dance which is ceremoniously
performed so that the tribe may have rain for
their fields. The Okipa is a sacred Sun ceremony
of Plains People during which the Shaman would
prepare the lodge and the participants for the
ceremony which involved elements of fasting,
torture and a vision quest or a plea or prayer
to the spirits.

Okipa Sun Ceremony

For additional Information on Shaman refer
to the article on the
Shaman Symbol.

Shaman

Native American Shaman

Shaman and the beliefs of Animists

The Culture of Shaman

Words and terminology associated with Shaman

Meanings of Fetishes & Shaman

Native American Indian Shaman, culture and religious beliefs

Pictures and Videos of Native Americans
Shaman.
Discover the vast selection of
pictures which relate to the History of Native Americans
and illustrate many decorations and tattoos used by American Indians. The pictures show the clothing,
tattoos, war
paint, weapons
and decorations of various Native Indian tribes that can
be used as a really useful
educational history resource for kids and children of all ages
and a means to study their interpretation.
We have included pictures to accompany the
main topic of this section - Shaman and Native American Culture. The videos enable fast access to the
images, paintings and pictures together with information
and many historical facts.